This invention relates to combined incandescent/fluorescent lanterns.
Lanterns have previously been proposed which include both an incandescent bulb surrounded by a reflector to provide a directable beam of light and also a fluorescent tube which when energised provides more general diffused illumination.
These lanterns have comprised a generally rectangular elongate housing with the incandescent bulb and reflector provided to direct an axial beam from one with a side face of the housing having the fluorescent tube therein. A disadvantage of this design is that the lantern must itself be rotated to direct the fluorescent beam as required.
One previously proposed solution, disclosed in GB-A-2 248 292, is for the fluorescent tube lighting arm which runs parallel to an elongate handle portion. The incandescent bulb is mounted at one end of the handle portion which is joined to the lighting arm by a pivot joint with an axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of the handle portion. The lighting arm may be rotated to any position within an arc of 180.degree. to position the tube as desired. The end of the handle portion containing the incandescent bulb is used to provide a stable base.
The above lanterns only contain a single fluorescent tube. In order to provide a wider beam of light a fluorescent lantern with two fluorescent tubes has been proposed (Registered Design No: 2071491), substantially similar to the rotating fluorescent lantern detailed above in that both fluorescent arms rotate around a single pivot. In this way the lantern may be used to illuminate an area of substantially larger diameter than with one fluorescent tube alone, or with two non-rotatable single tubes.
This design suffers from a serious disadvantage, however. The freedom of movement of the lighting arms is constrained so that they cannot be rotated apart through an arc of substantially more than 240.degree.. This limits the flexibility of the lantern. Furthermore each arm is difficult to move independently.